for a wee getaway we decided to pack up for the day and head to jasper for dinner.

because you can DO that from edmonton.

grrrr.

I was actually pretty excited, because as you know I L-O-V-E the mountains, and just can’t get enough of them, so any chance I can get to go for a ride through the mountains is a-ok with me.

so we hit the road…

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and saw lots of great rocky mountain scenery…

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until we finally made it to lovely downtown jasper…

(where we ate said crappy asian stirfry and pizza)

(although not at the restaurant in the photo below!)

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after our brief stop at the bakery after dinner, we hit the road again, on our way back to edmonton.

we didn’t drive to jasper for the sake of being in jasper, although I do think it’s a cute little town and would be happy to spend more time there, we decided to make this quick one-day trip in order to get to see the mountains again, as it’s been a few years now for me, and I’m going through serious mountainous-beauty-withdrawal.

so on we go…

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until… wait a MINUTE, who’s that standing in the middle of the RIVER?!?

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the river was very wide, and very shallow (as you can see).

everyone was stopped at the side of the highway to dip their feet in the (COLD) water and wade around for a while.

it was a lovely, very peaceful moment standing out there in the middle of the river, surrounded by the mountains.

aaaahhhh.

I didn’t want to leave.

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but alas, we had to get going, so back into the car and back along the highway…

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until… wait a minute… what’s that off in the marsh?

it’s a lady big-horned sheep!

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and here they are hanging out with the dudes…

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we stopped and took some photos, like good tourists are supposed to…

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and then eventually were on our way again…

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goodbye jasper provincial park!

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and we made it back to edmonton just fine.

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eventually though, it was time for me to be headed even further west, so we jumped in the car…

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cruised past some albertan landscape…

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and arrived at the airport.

in no time at all, I was on my plane and lifting off, saying goodbye to dana and ashley and my first trip to edmonton…